Comparing Pericles’ Funeral Oration to Sogoyewapha's Appeal to the Preservation Culture
Comparing Pericles’ Funeral Oration to Sogoyewapha 's Appeal to the Preservation Culture
After the Peloponnesian War, Pericles delivered an oration to celebrate the soldiers who had died in battle. Similarly, Sogoyewapha’s oration delivered at the council of chiefs of the Six Nations to celebrate their religion. Both orations give an understanding of the inner workings of government in ancient Athens and in the aboriginal nation. The approach that will be applied to analyze the orations will be Burke’s pentad, noting carefully both Pericles’ and Sogoyewapha’s use of identification. On a shallow level, one can see that the act of the pentad would be that Pericles is simply giving an oration to commemorate the fallen soldiers. In addition, the agent would be that of Pericles, but he identifies himself with those who reside in the state, the brethren of the fallen soldiers, their parents, their children, their neighbours and the fallen themselves. The scene is set in Athens, more specifically Athens after the Peloponnesian War. The purpose of the oration was to pay respect to those who have fallen because according to Pericles “it [seems] sufficient that [those] who have showed their valour by action should also by an action have their honour” (Thucydides). Lastly, the agency of which the oration was presented is revealed when Pericles says “thus also have I, according to the prescript of the law, delivered in word [the oration]” (Thucydides). In contrast but also very shallow, one can point out that the act of Sogoyewapha’s appeal is to preserve the religion of his people. The agent seen idealistically is Sogoyewapha, who identifies himself as a “son of the Great Spirit”. The scene is set in the new United States, after the American Revolutionary War. The purpose of the oration was to demand the Americans respect their religion instead of what Sogoyewapha says “force [their] religion upon [them]” (Bryan).
Now as mentioned earlier, applying the pentad to the oration
After the Peloponnesian War, Pericles delivered an oration to celebrate the soldiers who had died in battle. Similarly, Sogoyewapha’s oration delivered at the council of chiefs of the Six Nations to celebrate their religion. Both orations give an understanding of the inner workings of government in ancient Athens and in the aboriginal nation. The approach that will be applied to analyze the orations will be Burke’s pentad, noting carefully both Pericles’ and Sogoyewapha’s use of identification. On a shallow level, one can see that the act of the pentad would be that Pericles is simply giving an oration to commemorate the fallen soldiers. In addition, the agent would be that of Pericles, but he identifies himself with those who reside in the state, the brethren of the fallen soldiers, their parents, their children, their neighbours and the fallen themselves. The scene is set in Athens, more specifically Athens after the Peloponnesian War. The purpose of the oration was to pay respect to those who have fallen because according to Pericles “it [seems] sufficient that [those] who have showed their valour by action should also by an action have their honour” (Thucydides). Lastly, the agency of which the oration was presented is revealed when Pericles says “thus also have I, according to the prescript of the law, delivered in word [the oration]” (Thucydides). In contrast but also very shallow, one can point out that the act of Sogoyewapha’s appeal is to preserve the religion of his people. The agent seen idealistically is Sogoyewapha, who identifies himself as a “son of the Great Spirit”. The scene is set in the new United States, after the American Revolutionary War. The purpose of the oration was to demand the Americans respect their religion instead of what Sogoyewapha says “force [their] religion upon [them]” (Bryan).
Now as mentioned earlier, applying the pentad to the oration
Bibliography: Bryan,W. J., (1906). The World’s Famous Orations. America: I. Red Jacket on the Religion of the White Man and the Red. New York: Funk and Wagnalls Burke, K. (1945). A grammar of motives. Berkeley: University of California Press Keith, W. M., & Lundberg, C. O. (2008). The essential guide to rhetoric. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's. | | Thucydides (c.460/455-c.399 BCE): Peloponnesian War, Book 2.34-46